It was such a pleasure to meet you both, and I really appreciated how smoothly and professionally you ran everything. The story is set in the early 90s and Mina’s older sister works in a movie inspired haunted house attraction, with rooms dedicated to Pennywise, Freddy Kruger and Leatherface. During the summer, Mina visits Libby, her new roommates, Jared and Lucas and Libby's girlfriend Della, in dazzling "Crescent City".

She can't wait to explore the city's darkest secrets - vampire tours, seedy bars, spooky cemeteries, disturbing local myths. Having said that, many of the references are broad enough so that the target audience of the book will hardly be lost. I sped through it, loving the 90s setting and all the horror and slasher movie references and didn’t see any of the twists coming. If you know someone like me who you would like to get into reading but have never found the right book, Mina and the Undead is one to consider.Shortly after arriving in New Orleans, 17-year old, Mina, can already tell it will be a summer she'll never forget. I was equally invested in the characters, with Mina being a new favourite MC for me (probably because she seems to love ALL the same things as me and kept referencing some of my favourite films and books). Mina and her sister Libby have had their ups and downs, but Mina goes to stay with her older sister for a summer she'll never forget. From the eery silence and smell of ancient dirt of the St Louis Cemetery, to the gentle Jazz music and acrid tang of alcohol on Bourbon Street, you are so completely immersed in this story that it all comes to life right before your eyes.

It wasn't just the nostalgia making me carry on turning the pages though, the plot and writing are strong and I look forward to reading more from Amy McCaw in the future. My main gripe with this book is the writing style though: It seemed a bit too simple to me, almost as though the book was aimed at a much younger audience, but that doesn't match the characters being college age and the serious themes and gory imagery in the book. There was a lot I really enjoyed about Mina and the Undead, not least the numerous 80s and 90s horror references set throughout the novel.

There are a much wider cast of characters, some of which make a big impact with limited page time (I’m looking at you Della) but it is the location of the story that makes the biggest impression.

After growing up in the town that inspired Dracula, Mina loves nothing more than a creepy horror movie. I was sent a proof copy and I'll be honest, at first I was unsure how I was going to get on with it as it's not my usual genre but oh my goodness, as soon as I started it, I was hooked! With lots of 80s film references and nods to other vampire stories, this is a YA thriller/mystery set in New Orleans.

For instance, one of the villains is a character we met only once before for two sentences who isn't even given any motivation for their crimes.

If there is a weak link, it is the murder mystery element, which was incredibly effective at building up tension and offering up red herrings to throw the reader off the trail, but the final act doesn’t offer up any major surprises and ends up being rather obvious. Mina must discover the truth and prove her sister's innocence before she becomes the victim of another myth.A very exciting and non-stop journey of a book that transports us to New Orleans in the 90s for a gripping and gruesome story. My obsession only became stronger as time went on with Bela Lugosi, David from The Lost Boys, and the list goes on.